


I Smile Because You Want To, I Smile Because I Want To.

by Toothlessbored



Series: I Can’t Explain, But I Want To Try. [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, He just is, Luke is BRIGHT, M/M, Touch-Starved Din Djarin, din likes frogs, din likes kids too!, he’s the whole package!, learning about each other, they’re both disasters though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28638735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toothlessbored/pseuds/Toothlessbored
Summary: Out of all the Jedi he’s met, he’s been the most wrong about Luke, but who could blame him? They met immediately after the man slaughtered dark troopers like they were nothing, everyone would get the wrong impression at that. So far Luke is nothing like his fighting style, when his saber is lowered he’s more of an overly optimistic kid, though Din doesn’t like thinking of him as a kid. He’s a ray of sunshine and a bundle of hope, something cheesy like that.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker
Series: I Can’t Explain, But I Want To Try. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2105478
Comments: 21
Kudos: 560





	I Smile Because You Want To, I Smile Because I Want To.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh god I’ve never written for this fandom before so forgive me for any mistakes! I might do a part 2 just because I liked writing it so much! So, we’ll see but for now, enjoy! Also title is taken from Pools by Glass Animals.

The Jedi, so far, haven’t been anything like Din was expecting. From the armorer’s description, they sound like ruthless, untouchable sorcerers and he was initially wary of ever meeting one. Seeing as he’s met two now (which seems to be the majority of them) he can safely say that assumption was wrong and silly. Looking back on how Ahsoka warmly approached Grogu and now Luke who is meditating with him, it’s apparent that they’re not untouchable beings at all… they’re people. He briefly wonders if Grogu will have that initial dangerous aura but it only made him smile, he couldn’t imagine being intimidated by the kid whose spit-up he’s cleaned. 

Out of all the Jedi’s he’s met, he’s been the most wrong about Luke, but who could blame him? They met immediately after the man slaughtered dark troopers like they were nothing, everyone would get the wrong impression at that. So far Luke is nothing like his fighting style, when his saber is lowered he’s more of an overly optimistic kid, though Din doesn’t like thinking of him as a kid. He’s a ray of sunshine and a bundle of hope, something cheesy like that. 

He tries his hardest to be annoyed by it. He’s a mercenary, he’s seen the worst of worlds and the grossest souls. It’s a horrid galaxy, how could anyone not only like it but believe it’s inherently good? But he can’t be annoyed, he can’t even ignore it, it’s on repeat in his mind anytime the Jedi comes near him and he’s near him _a lot._

Another thing he was wrong about was how different his life would be in the following months. Before Grogu, he would’ve assumed that it wouldn’t change much, maybe a new set of armor (which, hey! He got that right!) and an upgrade on the ship (which… he doesn’t want to talk about) but nothing like this. None of this settling down and raising his little clan of two. To be fair, he hasn’t settled down exactly, he just has a place to keep returning to after a job is finished. He swears to himself up and down that it wouldn’t be like this if he still had the Razor Crest and he absolutely can’t stand the idea of living in his current ship but he knows that’s not true. He can’t seem to be truthful with himself these days. 

But, there are some constants in his life. He’s still dedicated to never showing his face- at least, to anyone but Grogu. They are a clan after all. He still takes up the odd job here and there, he doesn’t need the credits much but getting a new ship is definitely a goal of his. And… those are all that remain of his past life. He doesn’t like to wear his heart on his sleeve so on the outside it looks like he’s handling everything remarkably well and that’s all he can really hope for. 

He pulls himself away from his thoughts when Luke lets out a good natured chuckle. Meditating must be as boring as it looks because Grogu is curled up on the floor in a peaceful slumber. Din wonders if that’s against some rule but the way it doesn’t bother Luke lets him feel at ease with it. 

“I guess a nap sounds nicer, anyway,” Luke comments. It’s clearly directed at Din, as he’s the only other one in the room and it seems like most things are directed at him, but he’s not sure how to respond. The younger man seems to take it in stride though, he always does. “He may be my best student but he’s certainly got his own way of doing things.” 

That catches Din’s attention, “he is?” 

“Hm?”

“Your best student?” A part of him felt silly repeating himself when what he was asking was so obvious. The Jedi did that a lot and he hadn’t the faintest clue why (and _no_ it wasn’t so Luke could hear his voice more, he wouldn’t even humor the idea). 

“Oh yes! I think it’s because he’s got decades of experience with much wiser Jedi’s than myself,” he turns to look at the sleeping child, “though it could also be that he’s just that gifted.”

Din nods, “he’s special.” He used to say that because of the power he possesses but now he knows there’s a million other things to him. 

“Yes,” the other man hummed. He stands up and shakes the dirt off his tan clothes (another thing Din wasn’t expecting. He assumed that Luke lived in the black robes he wore the day they met but as soon as he was settled home he opted for what was practically sleepwear). “How about you take Grogu to your room and meet me in the field? I’ve been waiting for a chance to talk to you.” 

Ignoring the way Luke’s words made his stomach swoop ever so slightly, he nodded and did just that. He’s lucky the kid is a heavy sleeper because he feels tense under Luke’s watch. _Why is he watching anyway?_ He tries to keep his sigh of relief as quiet as he can once he’s finally out of the room. If he wasn’t busy trying to keep himself together, he’d be thoroughly impressed by the fact that the man has him intimidated, usually Din is the intimidator. Actually, it’s more impressive that Luke is intimidating to him considering that Luke is possibly the nicest person he’s ever met. Maybe intimidation isn’t the right word…

…

The school was a nice place, definitely one of the nicest Din had ever seen. It was rich in plants and harmless creatures that the kids loved to play with. Speaking of the kids, there weren’t as many as he had expected. He knew the Jedi’s went extinct but given how he found two fully trained ones in a month, he expected that they’d be living underground, kind of like the Mandalorian. There were sixteen kids in total with varying age groups, the oldest being fifty (though, the mentally oldest is seventeen) and the youngest being five. Luke once said that age was an important factor in the old days but he didn’t care to uphold that. Din partially wonders if he’s just relieved to have students at all and won’t turn them down- he’s kind like that. 

As a school, they seem very small but it’s still sixteen kids, that seems like a lot more in person. It never comes as a shock when they stare in curiosity at his armor or the beskar spear he carries around… or the darksaber. He couldn’t blame them, the chances of them meeting a Mandalorian before this are damn near impossible. And, though he hates it, he knows they’re also looking at the rightful ruler of Mandalore. The Mand’alor. 

All that to say, he’s not surprised when he’s stopped by a wide eyed child in the common area on his way to Luke. He’s seen this kid before but never spoken to them, they seem relatively reserved. Din can understand that. 

“Mr. Mandalorian?” Their quiet voice calls out. Part of Din thinks it would be easy to just pretend he heard nothing and keep walking but that part of him also gets him into a lot of trouble so… 

“Yes?” He hopes his voice is warm but the modulator in his helmet seems to make that impossible, but the kid doesn’t flinch so he relaxes. 

They take a comically huge deep breath, “me- no, I- _we_ -“ they huff, “we were wondering w-what the metal skull on your arm means…” 

_We?_ Just as Din wonders what he means, another, much smaller, kid comes out from behind them with a jar in their hand. The jar seems to have a very attentive amphibian of sorts, he kind of feels like it’s boring into his soul. Now, looking at them side by side, Din immediately understands that they’re siblings- not the pet though. That explains why he’s never talked to either of them, must be a shy family. 

“It’s a mudhorn,” he explains as he kneels down, “it symbolizes Grogu and I’s clan.”

“Wha’s a clan?” The smaller child asks in a sticky voice. Are all kids obsessed with sugar? 

“A family of sorts, Grogu is my… foundling.” 

“What’s the mudhorn hav’ to do with that?”

“Grogu saved me from one.” 

The children’s eyes (and maybe the amphibians?) got wider and shined brighter. “Really?! Will you tell us the story?” 

That one part of Din comes back to nag him about his prior engagement, but Din has never been good at denying kids anything (it’s a true mystery if Grogu’s chubby cheeks are simply baby fat or from how spoiled he is). Against his better judgement, he lets himself fall into a sitting position which intrigues another kid passing by to listen in. 

“Well, it happened not long after I met him…” 

The story flows from his lips naturally as if it happened yesterday. He stressed unimportant details to keep their attention and let himself lie a bit about how tough he was going up against the beast. What they don’t know won’t hurt them. As the story went on, more kids took notice and joined the small group in front of him. He was even a little proud to say he got the seventeen year old invested in his story. When it looked like he had about ten of the sixteen kids surrounding him, he finished his story much to their disappointment and delight. 

“I didn’t know Grogu could do that!” One child gasped. 

“I didn’t think mudhorns were that dangerous!” Another chimes in. Even the jarred amphibian looks impressed. 

“Indeed,” another, much older voice called from the entrance of the room. “They are, though I haven’t had the misfortune of going up against one myself.” 

“Master Luke!” The first, quiet child cried, “have you seen one?” 

The man nodded his head with a warm smile that once again wormed its way into Din’s stomach. How long has he been there? Was he listening to the story? Embarrassment burned at his ears, maybe he shouldn’t have exaggerated the victory… 

“There were a few on Tatooine growing up but nothing serious. They don’t act until they’re bothered,” he throws a pointed but good-natured look at Din. “How about you guys run along? We’re going to get back to work in a few hours from now.” 

The room cleared out pretty quickly after that but there’s no surprise there. With how much discipline they have to go through, Din imagines they value as much free time as they can get. The only downside of that is that he’s alone with Luke now… and somehow that’s an upside as well. 

“They like you,” Luke comments as Din starts to pick himself up. “I think you surprise them.” 

“How so?” His metallic voice rings out in the room, he sort of hates it. He longs for Luke to hear his real voice but the cost is too high for him to indulge in that. 

“Well, your armor makes you look scary, I think. Most heavily armored people don’t have very good intentions, wouldn’t you say?” Din doesn’t reply but Luke doesn’t wait for him to. “Some of these kids… they have sad backgrounds. This is their safe place now, so when you walked in I think they were afraid.” 

Din mulls his words over in his head before something clicks, “those siblings…?” 

Luke nods, “they weren’t always that quiet,” he pauses and his eyes fill with emotions that Din can’t quite place but he sees some sorrow in there. Not for the first time, he wonders what the burden of being a Jedi must entail. “You’re nothing like they thought you would be,” he whispers, “you like them too, don’t you?” 

The taller man tries not to react much. He hates being vulnerable, hates wearing his heart on his sleeve but something about Luke makes him want just that. It’s unnerving. “The way I was raised… We value children. I wouldn’t be where I am if we didn’t.” 

“What do you mean?” 

And, well, now he feels a little suffocated. “Ask me another time.” 

A flicker of something hopeful shines in Luke’s eyes but he blinks it away before Din can really see it. He wonders if he’ll mind telling him that story when the time comes. 

Giving him his signature yet genuine smile, Luke starts walking towards the door. “Come,” he says in that whimsical Jedi way, “I think you owe me a walk after how late you were.” And that he says in a _Luke_ way. 

Wordlessly, he follows and longs to hear that Luke way one more time. 

…

Things continue like that for a while. Grogu and Luke meditate in the morning, when he goes down for a nap Din (if he’s not interrupted by a hoard of children begging for stories first) goes on a walk with him to discuss his training. But, now they seem to be moving past that topic and onto more general things. Luke tells him about his childhood, which they both agree was painfully boring, and his time as a pilot in the war. 

“You… you were on the second Death Star as it blew up?” 

Luke gives him a prideful smile, “well I had to make people think I’m invincible somehow!” For a moment Din almost believes that but the sarcasm is practically dripping from that sentence. 

“I think blowing up the first one was enough to give you a reputation,” he says dryly. 

“True, but that doesn’t get fun reactions out of people.”

Din enjoys moments like these when Luke is actually Luke. He’ll be the first to admit he’s actually kind of a dork and Din will be the first to agree with that statement. He likes to tease and seems to think of the Mandalorian as his target. Not that he minds, he rarely enjoys the company of anyone and if Luke wants to be around him so much, who is he to stop him? 

The daily walks… they’re nice. 

“I should get back,” Luke mumbles as he stands up, “those kids will probably destroy the place without me there.” He says that all the time but the kids admire him so much it doesn’t seem likely. He dusts the dirt off his black pants and starts to walk the opposite way they came where the students should be gathering. “Bye, Mando.” 

Just before he can get too far, Din scrambles up to a standing position in a confused hurry. “Luke!” He calls out, surprising himself by the urgency in his voice. 

The Jedi turns to face him and it makes his mouth go dry. Whatever he was going to say dies on his tongue in favor of gaping like a fish that’s luckily covered by his helmet. 

“S-see you tomorrow,” he eventually forces out, knowing that’s not what he really wanted to say. Luke smiles nonetheless- and not a signature polite one, a real smile, then he’s out of sight in a matter of seconds. 

He was about to give Luke his name. His _name._ One of the last things he has to himself on this planet and he almost gave it away like it was nothing. It dawns on him that Luke doesn’t know much about him at all. For one of two people alive that have seen his face, Luke doesn’t know anything other than surface level knowledge. Last time he even asked was a month ago when he told the children the mudhorn story. 

_A month ago?_ He balks at his own realization, _I’ve been here a whole month?_ When did he become so careless? He’s not even sure what day it is at this point. The thought sends an unfamiliar dread through his body. _I’m getting comfortable._ He sighs, _too comfortable_. 

He turns around and heads for his ship.

…

Today they’re celebrating in the dining hall. It’s a birthday for one of the kids (well, one of the kids who actually knows their birthday) and they requested a small party to remind them of home. Right now they’re sharing baked goods the service droids made and passing stories around like they always do. It reminds Din of his foundling days, he watches on with an unseen smile. 

“Do you have a birthday, Mando?” Luke asks as he comes to sit by his side. He’s got two cookies in his hand and nudges one to Din. Hesitantly, he takes it. 

“No,” he sighs, “I can’t remember one. Do you?” 

Luke shakes his head, “no, though I’m sure someone would know if I asked.” 

Din nods his head though he has no idea what he means by that. He lifts his helmet up just above his mouth and takes a bite of the offered cookie. Not being able to see out of his visor usually gives him a gross feeling like he’s doing something wrong but right now he’s… curious. Curious if Luke is watching, curious if anyone is watching but his mind lingers on Luke. It usually does these days. He slots the helmet back in place and turns to look at the Jedi who seems very interested in the floor. 

Looking back at the masked man, Luke starts to fidget with the string on his robe. “Um, will you ever… take off your helmet?” 

A lot of things flash through Din’s mind when the question slips. His typical response would be to just stay quiet or snap at such an ignorant question. His mind screams _of course not! That’s the stupidest question I’ve ever heard._ But, even if he’s chanting it in his head, he’s not sure he can fully believe that. 

“I don’t know,” he eventually says and feels a piece of his soul crumble a little. Is that a bad thing? He doesn’t know. 

Luke’s eyes are trained on him but his expression is unreadable. Slowly, he places his right hand on Din’s thigh and rubs his thumb back and forth. It’s nice, a feeling Din hasn’t let himself have in years. 

“Forget I asked,” Luke eventually says and gives him a warm smile. He turns back to watch the kids and doesn’t move his hand. Din doesn’t ask him to. 

…

Luke is admiring the darksaber as the suns set on the horizon. He never asked Din to bring it on their daily walks before but curiosity seems to have won him over this time. The sword fits so well in his hands it almost makes Din feel like _he_ was the Mand’alor. 

“It’s a beautiful weapon,” Luke concludes before sheathing it away and handing it back.

“With a complicated history,” Din counters as he takes it back from where he’s sitting. “A terrible burden.”

Surprisingly, Luke lets out a snort of amusement and plops himself down next to Din. “You’ve got to be the least enthusiastic leader I’ve ever met.” 

“I’m not a leader.” 

“Mhm,” Luke hums, “anyway, a dark legacy doesn’t necessarily make it a dark weapon, Mando. If you wield it in such a way, the saber is at the mercy of that decision.” 

Din gives him a funny look that he can’t see, getting the impression that Luke knows more about what he’s saying then what he’s letting on. He wants to ask but the man tends to be an open book, he’ll ramble on and on about god knows what so if he’s only telling half truths here, maybe it’s for a reason. Instead he just nods his head and clips the darksaber back to his belt. 

“Why don’t you want to be Mand’alor, anyway?” 

Din blinks, “what?” 

“Well, isn’t it a huge honor? Haven’t you proven you’re more than capable of the title just by winning the darksaber?” He crosses his arms against his chest, “surely you’ve thought of that?” 

And, yes, that is true. It may be a fickle way of choosing a leader but it’s their way, _the way._ But Din? Din Djarin? Ruler of Mandalore? The idea of him sitting on a throne is laughable, he’s no hero and doesn’t deserve an entire planet to rule. It feels so obvious, of course he can’t be the Mand’alor, why would he be?

“I didn’t win it for Mandalore, I took it to save Grogu without knowing the weight of that decision. I took the victory from a much more capable leader, I don’t deserve this.” 

The Jedi opens his mouth like he’s going to argue but decides against it. He just nods his head, “I understand.” But he doesn’t, does he? Probably not, Luke is stubborn that way and it’s so endearing if not incredibly frustrating. 

They don’t talk about the saber after that. 

…

Din is scared. He thought he felt true fear (terror was a better word for it) when Grogu was kidnapped but this was a whole new brand. People don’t scare him and yet he’s terrified of Luke. Luke who shows him kindness like nobody else, whose eyes seem to look right through his armor, who seems to like him. And, sure, Din has friends, he has tons of them but this is different and he doesn’t know why. 

He’s terrified. 

Why does he want to tell Luke everything? What about the younger man almost compels him to hand out his name like it’s nothing. What’s so different that it made him settle down for months at a time on an unfamiliar planet. Why does he feel like he can talk to Luke about anything and everything. Why does he touch his very soul with every smile or touch to his armor. 

He needs to get off this planet, he’s sure of it. 

It’s raining tonight, hot, humid rain that makes his visor fog up in an irritating way. He can’t complain too much though, he’s the one that decided now was the perfect time to take a walk. And, in a way, it is, it’s still a beautiful planet with much to see and though he’s never been one to truly appreciate nature, he’d kick himself if he didn’t get to see more of it. 

He started walking along the same trail he takes with Luke but gradually strayed from it, opting to let his feet choose the path. He comes to a stop just before he can get truly lost and sits down. He doesn’t meditate like the “forcers” (as he’s come to name them) do but he can easily see why it’s appealing, it’s almost relaxing enough to take a nap. Almost. He’s still got a lot on his mind. 

He watches a frog hop on a rock right in front of him but loses its footing and falls over. Frogs remind him of Grogu, most things do but seeing him swallow a few whole will leave an imprint on you. In a funny way, the kid has given him a reason to like the amphibian, it makes him chuckle when it struggles to get back up. Leaning over, he gently helps the frog up. He’s surprised how calm the creature appears to be but it does occur to Din that it’s probably unfamiliar with humans. Once it’s sitting up, he nudges it in the opposite direction of the school, hoping to give it a fighting chance against his womp rat of a son. 

“Never pegged you for a frog lover,” a voice cuts through the silence, finally scaring the frog enough to hop away. “Or, any animal lover.” 

“Luke,” He tries to force his heart back to a normal pace to no avail, “I didn’t hear you coming.” 

Luke shrugs, “I was trying to be quiet. Don’t know what animals might be out in this weather.” 

Din scans his eyes around the forest floor but he finds nothing, “seems like it’s just frogs today.” 

Luke nods his head in the direction of a tree with low hanging branches that’s protecting the earth below from the rain. He walks under it and Din follows suit, not that he minds the rain but he likes being around Luke more, even if that thought makes his skin prick. 

“How’d you know I was here?” He asks, realizing the Jedi found him in what’s essentially the middle of nowhere. 

Luke smiles like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I can sense you. I know you’re not nearly as sensitive to the force as me or Grogu but… you have this aura.” He sighs like this is the most meaningful thing he could say. “It’s subtle but it’s huge, I could easily find you in a crowd just by following it. Does… does that make sense?” 

Din thinks it does and wonders if it’s only exclusive to Jedi’s because Luke is exactly like that. He doesn’t need the force to see how bright Luke shines, how _good_ seems to circulate around him. He’s a beacon of hope and Din didn’t even know he needed that. He’s distracting, bright, good, hopeful and so human all at the same time. It makes Din’s head spin. 

“It does- does make sense,” he stutters. 

The smaller man hums, “I could see a million different auras- I have, I think- but yours is always going to be special.” He sighs, “you’re special, Mando.” 

Maybe it’s the way that Luke smiles at him, or the kind words or the way that he sounds so sincere but it’s muddled by a fake name. Din isn’t impulsive, he’s had months to think this over, what Luke means to him and how much he trusts him. He doesn’t have doubts anymore. Even though it makes his stomach flip with anxiety and his throat threatens to hold him back, he knows this is what he wants to do. 

“Din,” He breathes out, “my name is Din Djarin.” 

Luke’s wide eyes snap to meet his- or he tries to, given the visor in the way. His face is the very definition of shocked, his mouth is gaping open like he’s struggling to find the words and if this were any other situation, Din would laugh. Right now he’s just trying to keep his legs from giving out. Snapping his mouth shut, Luke huffs and gives him another smile but it’s different. It’s genuine, it’s happy and maybe relieved but with a hint of something Din can’t quite place. Still, he wants to see that smile a million times over. 

“Din Djarin,” Luke repeats, “I like it.”

…

Its been a week since that night and things with Luke have been… amazing, to say the least. On the surface, nothing has changed, they’re still friends that take daily walks and co-parent Grogu but it feels different. Luke fits into Din’s life so neatly he’s having a hard time remembering his life before him. For once, he doesn’t let the threat of this dream ending loom over him, he’s living it instead. He’s happy, he likes being happy. 

Then he gets a call. 

About a few weeks ago, he sent out requests for work to everyone he trusted. It was risky, he doesn’t know a lot of people who still hand out bounties, much less bounties that stay out of the empire’s hair. He wasn’t shocked when he didn’t get immediate responses and left it at that, learned to get comfortable and forgot about the whole incident until now. 

Now he’s staring at Boba Fett’s holographic image and cursing his past decisions. 

“I won’t be needing the job,” he calmly states, hoping it’ll be as easy as that.

But, nothing is easy with Boba Fett, is there? He narrows his eyes and his projected image leans in closer. “It wasn’t easy for me to find this for you, Mando.” 

“I appreciate your efforts-“ 

“I have a lot going on here. Lots of people after me but I still found you this job.” 

“I understand that-“

“Y’know, I’ve heard lots about you since I’ve gotten here,” he scratches his chin, “people say you’re a dragon slayer, a peace negotiator, but most importantly, you took the fucking job.” 

Din sighed, feeling his patience become thin as string. He’s been heckled into taking jobs before but he didn’t have anything to lose then and figured the pay would be worth the effort anyway. “You responded too late, Fett,” he grumbled out. 

“You mean to tell me you’ve been _waiting?_ ” Boba balked, “A man of your reputation would’ve kept looking, but you don’t seem that way anymore.” 

Feeling his skin prickle, he snarled behind his helmet, “what’s that supposed to mean?” 

Boba shrugged, “exactly what I said. Your expertise are being wasted but you seem fine with that. You’ve changed.” 

The way he phrases it makes Din’s blood boil. He likes to think that he’s pretty level headed and keeps his anger to a minimum but this… this is insulting. His character, his very identity is being mocked. 

“I’ll take the job,” he hisses out and tries not to look at the smug smirk the other man gives him.

…

Packing his clothes made him feel hollow like never before. He tells himself it’s because he doesn’t belong here, he’s a Mandalorian he’s supposed to be traveling. He’ll be back, he couldn’t leave Grogu forever, but even that has him kicking himself. _I just need to get back out there,_ he thinks, _I just need to live it again._

“Din?” Oh great that’s just wonderful. “Din, what’s going on?” 

“I’m being called away on a job,” he keeps his back to Luke, not ready to see the look on his face or his fucking _aura._

“I- I didn’t know you were still taking jobs,” Luke replies hesitantly, like he’s afraid of scaring Din away. 

“I am.” He’s being blunt, he knows he is but he can’t seem to stop himself. He doesn’t want to hurt Luke but he needs to just get past him. If Luke asks him to stay he doesn’t know if he can turn him down. 

Clipping his bag shut, he turns around and barrels past the smaller man. He makes a beeline to the next room where he’s sure Grogu is, ignoring the hesitant footsteps behind him. When he finds him, the child looks concerned like he could feel something was wrong and was just waiting for it to rear its ugly head. Damn kid is too smart for his own good. 

“Look, kid,” he kneels down to meet his eye, “I’ve gotta go away for a bit. Somebody needs my… assistance, I agreed to help them.” He sighs, hating the half truth he told but not wanting to admit the details of his work. “I’ll be back,” he lifts his helmet over his nose and presses a kiss to Grogu’s head, “I promise.” 

He was equally surprised and relieved when the child did nothing more but let out a sad coo and hold his helmet close like a hug. He must be used to Din’s traveling antics at this point if he’s letting him go without a fight. But, his eyes are still sad pools of brown. 

Trying to keep his getaway quick, he turns around and does his best power walk out of the temple. It’s dark when he gets outside but that was sort of intentional, he wouldn’t handle it if the rest of the younglings came out to bid their farewells. They should be asleep at this point, Grogu is just a brat for the most part. He’d laugh at that if he wasn’t on a mission. 

It’s dark outside but that bright aura is back and more distracting than ever. 

“Din, wait,” Luke calls out. He doesn’t, he keeps walking away and fights the urge to break into a run. He can’t do this, he can’t confront Luke, he just needs to get to his ship. He might even have managed it if Luke didn’t grab his wrist and tug him back. 

“Din, Stop!” He pleads and Din finally gives in. He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and turns around only to feel his heart shatter. The Jedi almost blends in with the forest; he’s dressed in all black, even wearing a cape with a hood that must’ve fallen off in his pursuit. He almost blends in but Din can see the unshed tears in his eyes, the way his cheeks flush and his lips are pursed. _I did that,_ the armored man thinks with despair, the urge to get away more prominent than ever. 

“Don’t go,” Luke whispers out, his words sounding choked. It makes Din hate himself more. He’s doing this, he’s doing this and he needs to run before it gets any worse. 

“I have to,” his voice is in a similar wrecked state.

Luke frantically shakes his head, “no you don’t. You don’t want to do this.” 

It takes a moment for his words to settle in Din’s head but once they do he feels the same defensive wall come up like it did with Boba Fett. “You don’t know anything about me, Jedi.” He hissed and yanks his hand out of Luke’s hold. 

The other man looks taken aback by his anger but then his eyes harden. “Yes I do,” he spits, “we’re not strangers!” The taller man turns and starts walking away, trying to block out his words. “You’re Din Djarin, a remarkable Mandalorian and a wonderful companion. You have no birthday, you like frogs and you’re the rightful ruler of Mandalore- but you don’t want to be even though you’d be amazing. You love kids, you love your son more than anything and you love your friends.” 

He’s panting by the end of his rant, Din is too. He’s stopped in his tracks, just a few feet from his ship when it hits him. _I love you,_ he thinks, _I think I’ve been in love with you this whole time._

“You’re… You’re so important to me,” Luke sighs, exhaustion overcoming him. “I don’t want you to go.”

_I love you,_ Din thinks on repeat and desperately wishes he could get the words out. He turns around and drops his bag on the dirt clearing. He ignores the alarm going off in his head and gets as close to Luke as he can, thankful the man is too stubborn to move away. Before he can stop himself, he rests his right hand on the base of Luke’s neck and pulls him in slowly, giving him more than enough time to pull away. He doesn’t, he blinks up at Din with curious blue eyes that melt his heart like always. Luke’s forehead meets his armored one. 

He wonders what Luke has to say about auras now because something feels so different but so right. _I love you,_ he thinks again and tightens his hold on Luke’s neck ever so slightly. Luke lets out a broken, happy sigh and lets his tears finally spill over. 

“I’ll stay,” Din whispers, “I promise.” 

They stay there for a while. 

…

The sunlight reflects off discarded beskar and right onto Din’s naked hand, the hand Luke is holding. He’s tense, finding it hard to relax even though he trusts Luke. He wouldn’t let Luke do this if he didn’t. He hasn’t had skin to skin contact since Grogu saw his face, but they’re not doing that. The helmet is still on his head, he’s still dressed in his usual rags (as Luke put it), it’s just his hands. 

Luke’s hand, his real one, is much softer than Din’s. Din has calloused hands, they’re worn and chapped around the knuckles. He’s never made it a point to take care of hands but he regrets that now. Luke doesn’t seem to mind, he strokes his thumb over the damaged skin like this is the most precious gift he could ever be given. Din definitely feels that way. 

“How’d you get where you are?” Luke whispers, catching Din off guard.

“What?”

His blue eyes move from their joined hands to meet Din’s. “A while ago… you told me that you wouldn’t be where you are if your creed didn’t value children. You told me to ask you about it another time,” he squeezes their hands, “now I’m asking.” 

Leave it to Luke to remember something so trivial like that. Not that Din doesn’t appreciate it, the knowledge of such makes his heart skip a beat. 

“Okay.” 

The story feels fresh in his mind despite the many, many years that have passed since then. He holds the memories close and in Luke’s company, he feels like he could talk forever. And Luke listens, his eyes drift around the room but he doesn’t miss a word he says. He hums when it’s meaningful, smiles when Din’s dry humor shines through, frowns when he hits a low point. 

Eventually, he comes to the end of his story and wishes he wouldn’t. He wants Luke to know who he is, what he comes from and the things he’s done. He wants to give himself entirely to Luke.

“I liked it,” Luke mumbles.

“It wasn’t very happy.” 

He shrugs, “no, I guess not. But it was about you. I like everything about you.” 

Another squeeze to Din’s hand. He feels light headed but in the best way, like a high he’ll never stop chasing. 

“I… I love you…”

Din’s head snaps up to find a very flustered Luke looking to the ground. “You… You what?” 

He sighs, “you don’t have to return my feelings or anything I just… I can’t not tell you, especially after last night and-“ 

“I love you too.” 

Now it’s Luke’s turn to stare at him in shock. His mouth is hanging open, unsure what to say and Din feels the same way. It’s only been a few hours since he himself found out he loves the Jedi and he wasn’t planning on telling him either. But, as he’s come to realize, Luke pulls things out of him just by being there. He wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“I don’t-“ Luke stutters, “I don’t want to overstep but… can- can I kiss you?” Din goes tense and the Jedi immediately senses it. “No! No like, is it okay if you just lift your helmet up? Over your mouth?”

And yeah, Luke has seen his face before. He saw Din at what he believes was his lowest but he still honors his creed. He feels warm inside when Luke offers the alternative, he really does love him, doesn’t he?

Wordlessly, Din brings his left hand to the cool metal of the helmet. He hooks his thumb under it and raises it slowly, feeling his heart go wild in his chest. The air is cool, he’s not sure if that’s what’s making him tremble or if it’s his nerves. Probably the nerves. Luke though… His hand has gone slack in Din’s but that’s because his attention is elsewhere now. Luke is glued to his exposed skin like it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. Din selfishly wonders if it is. 

“G-go ahead,” the armored man whispers. Luke blinks, taken aback by how natural his voice sounds without the helmet in the way, but he recovers quickly. 

It’s scary, it’s so, so scary but it’s okay. It’s okay because when their lips meet, Din knows he wants to do it a million times over again. It’s not a heated kiss by any means. They’re still, taking in the moment and the warmth they radiate. It’s very different from holding hands but in the best way, he knows he’s addicted the second Luke pulls away. 

“I love you,” the smaller man says again in a breathless way. 

Before he lowers his helmet back down, he whispers, “I love you, cyar'ika.” 

There’s still a million things to consider, a million things to say and explore. Things they don’t want to think about and things they’re more than ready to indulge in. But, right now, in this quiet room with the excited cries of children echoing through the halls and Din’s hand in Luke’s, it’s perfect. It’s all so, so perfect. 


End file.
